How to Cook Filet Mignon in the Oven

Filet mignon, a.k.a. beef tenderloin, is a cut of meat typically reserved for special occasions because it's expensive, so if you've made the investment, it's a good idea to know how to cook filet mignon in the oven properly.
Filet mignon steaks are cut from the tenderloin, which runs along both sides of the cow's spine. It's one of the most expensive cuts of beef because of its tenderness and small yield per cow.
Before filet mignon makes its way into the oven, it's a good idea to sear the meat on the stovetop over high heat in oil or butter. This jumpstarts the cooking process and creates a crust, which provides even more flavor. It's important to season the meat well with salt and pepper--and in this case, herbs--prior to cooking.
Preheat the oven well in advance so the seared filet mignon continues to cook at high heat. An oven-friendly digital probe thermometer is a worthwhile investment because the oven can stay closed until the desired temperature is reached. For a medium-rare steak, the temperature should read 135 degrees F; allow a few more minutes for medium, or 145 degrees F. And no matter what, let the meat rest once it comes out of the oven, so the juices can redistribute!

-Hey everyone, I'm Judith, well today, we'll be making a
juicy and tender filet mignon. So, this is what you
will need for this: 1 large end of piece of
beef tender loin about 3 pounds, tied and trimmed; extra
virgin olive oil; kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper;
assorted fresh herbs such as thyme, sage, and rosemary and
hydroponic [unk] is optional. Now, for our blender Bearnaise, we're
gonna need a 1/4 cup of champagne vinegar; 1/4 cup
of dry white wine; 2 shallots minced; 3 tablespoons of
fresh tarragon leaves; 3 egg yolks; 1 stick of unsalted
butter melted; and kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
to taste. Alright, so right here, we have our beautiful
beef tenderloin, trimmed and tied for you right there. Make
sure you let it get to room temperature before you're
putting it on your hot pan. Let it rest. Okay,
to that, we're gonna add our oil. We're just gonna
really season up our beef tenderloin here, and this is
gonna make beef filet mignon. Filet mignon is actually the
expensive cut of meat beef you can have. So, treat
your beef very well. We're gonna salt and pepper that,
both sides, and to that after salt and pepper, we're
gonna add in those fresh, lovely aromatic herbs, and they
just smell gorgeous, thyme, sage rosemary, which just go great
with the filet mignon. Let's just get that covered on
there. Smells good already. Alright, so we got that lovely
seasoned up. Now, next to us, we have our large
cast iron skillet. We got it a little bit of
cooking spray, and usually, if you got enough oil on
your beef, you don't need to, but adding a little
bit more just in case. Now, that, make sure that
gets nice and hot, and what we're gonna do is
sear our beef tenderloin on all sides. So, searing means
you just wanna get a nice golden brown crust on
the edge. It's obviously not cooking it through, and that's
why we finish off in the oven. We're gonna sear
it, get it nice golden brown, and then get it
in the oven, and when it gets brown on 1
side, we're just gonna turn over and let it get
brown on all other sides. Alright, so, our beef tenderloin
is looking and smelling fantastic, seared on all sides, lovely
golden brown. Now, that cast iron skillet is gonna go
into the oven. We preheated our oven to 400 degrees
Fahrenheit. So, we're gonna put it in there for about
15 to 17 minutes, take it out, check it with
the thermometer. It should read about 135 degrees Fahrenheit for
medium rare. Put it back into 3 minutes more, take
it out, let it rest 10 minutes, at least 10
minutes before you cut into it, but we'll see it
after 20 minutes time. So, while our filet mignon is
in the oven, let's prepare our blender Bearnaise, really quick
and easy to do. So, in a small saucepan here,
we got it to a medium heat, and we're gonna
add in our white wine, our champagne vinegar, our shallots,
and half of our tarragon, in there goes. Now, we're
gonna let that simmer until it's reduced by half. So,
just it a good stir, just do this. Put it
on to simmer, and we're gonna let that get nice
and thick and reduced by half. So, our mixture has
reduced by half now, so take that off the heat,
and let that cool before we add it into our
blender. Alright, so once our reduction is cool, not it's
time to make our Bearnaise sauce. So, in the blender,
we're gonna add in our egg yolks. Get all those
yolks in there and our reduction. Perfect, and we're gonna
blend that on a low speed. So, as this is
running, we're gonna add in 1/3 of our melted butter
mixture, and we're gonna take it to the medium speed.
We'll then gonna add in the remaining butter, and then
we're just gonna put that on high, and all of
those ingredients have emulsified together, should be nice creamy chutney
and last but the not least, let's add in or
tarragon and our salt and pepper. On there goes, we'll
give it a quick blend and that should be done.
Good, alright, so that's it, well transfer that into a
dish right here and that's gonna be a great sauce
to serve up with her Filet Mignon, and make sure
to keep that in a warm place so you can
serve it up with your beef. So, our beef tenderloin
has been in the oven for about 20 minutes. We've
let it rest for 10 minutes and that is done.
So, all you need to do now is slice it
along and serve it up with your Bearnaise sauce. There
you go, how fantastic is that, great impressive dinner. That
is how you make Fillet Mignon.

What You'll Need

1 large end piece of beef tenderloin (about 3 pounds), tied and trimmed

Extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Assorted fresh herbs (such as thyme, sage, and rosemary)

Hydroponic watercress (optional)

Blender Bearnaise

1/4 cup champagne vinegar

1/4 cup dry white wine

2 shallots, minced

3 tablespoons fresh tarragon leaves

3 egg yolks

1 stick unsalted butter, melted

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Step By Step

1

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Drizzle the tenderloin with oil. Season well with plenty of salt and pepper. Sprinkle with assorted fresh herbs. Allow the tenderloin to come to room temperature before cooking. Place a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat and sear tenderloin on all sides (add additional oil, if necessary). Place the skillet in the preheated oven and roast the tenderloin for about 15 to 17 minutes. (At this point, a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat should read 135 degrees F for medium rare; for medium, roast for 3 minutes more.) Remove from the oven. Tent tenderloin with foil; allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with Blender Bearnaise (see below). If you like, garnish with watercress.

2

To make the reduction for the bearnaise sauce, combine vinegar, wine, shallot, and half of the tarragon in a small saucepan and place over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer and cook until reduced by half. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Blend yolks and bearnaise reduction together in a blender on low speed until combined. With the blender running on medium speed, add one-third of the butter in a slow, steady stream. Once the mixture emulsifies (it will become thick and satiny), turn the blender speed up to high and add the remaining butter. Add the remaining tarragon, season with salt and pepper, and pulse in the blender. Transfer to a dish; hold in a warm spot until ready to serve.